Staples girls top McMahon

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, February 9, 2007

NORWALK -- The Staples girls basketball team used a 14-4 run to start the second half to pull away from Brien McMahon for a 61-35 win Friday.

Staples, which has won seven of eight, improved to 11-7 overall and 10-6 in the FCIAC. The Wreckers control their own destiny for a conference playoff spot heading into the final week of the regular season.

McMahon fell to 7-11, 6-10 in the FCIAC and remains one win away from qualifying for the state tournament.

Jackie O'Connell led all scorers with 24 points for Staples and has scored 56 points in the last two games.

"She's a senior, a hard worker and she knows what she needs to do," Staples head coach Ed Huydic said. "Her 3-point percentage increased dramatically over the past four or five games and she's been gliding to the basket. I hope it continues."

Kelly Romano added 10 points for the Wreckers.

Senior center Monissa Williams scored 13 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Senators. Shavonne Simmons hit a pair of 3-pointers in scoring 10 points for McMahon.

Following a sloppy start to the game that saw Staples trailing 7-3 nearly five minutes in, the Wreckers came back to take the lead when O'Connell hit three straight free throws for an 11-9 lead after one quarter.

Leading 22-18 late in a foul-filled second quarter, Suvi Puritpattarapan hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining in the half to give the Wreckers its largest lead of the night.

Throughout the game the Senators missed easy baskets and layups that the Wreckers promptly made them pay for.

"When we've had chances to score and we don't, we see a four point deficit go to six and then eight quickly," McMahon head coach Ed Faulkner said. "Our offensive ineptness is what hurt us because they made us pay."

Out of the intermission, the Staples offense finally came alive as Romano scored the first six points of the half and the Wreckers grabbed control with a 31-18 lead.

"In the second half we looked for more isolation with Romano and it was good for eight points in the third quarter," Huydic said. "I think it loosened things up."

For the quarter Staples outscored McMahon 19-9, taking a 44-27 lead into the fourth period.

"We had more effective transition basketball in the second (half) and that's been a big part of us winning seven of eight," Huydic said. "The defense triggers our offense and it's been that way for my 26 years."

On the other side, Faulkner wonders if his young team is starting to feel the effects from a long season.

"I don't know if we hit a wall," Faulkner said. "It's a long year and we still have two games to go.

"We have so many young players and it's a long season. Two and a half hours a day, six days a week and it takes its toll," Faulkner said. "Physically and mentally this is a lot harder than they've ever had before."

Needing one win to qualify for states, McMahon plays at third-ranked and undefeated Trinity Catholic on Monday before hosting Ridgefield (12-5) on Wednesday, a team the Senators beat 68-62 in the Masuk Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27.

"It's always your first goal to get to states," Faulkner said. "But you have to remember the things that happen along the way."

With games at Warde and at Westhill remaining, Staples has a tough final week but is positioned towards the front of a group of teams battling for the last three FCIAC playoff spots.

"We control our own fate, but we have a tougher schedule than the others," Huydic said. "Last week we put ourselves in good position and this week we held it.

"We're calling next week our destiny week. We want to run the table and win both," Huydic said. "I like the way we're playing and the combinations we're using. We're a completely different team from earlier in the season."